I Can't Let Go Of You
by FelgaHelzio96
Summary: Shannon is crushed when her best friend Tommy says that he's leaving for America...because she's in love with him. And as it turns out, he's in love with her, too. She agrees to let him go under one condition. (Prequel to a multi-chapter I plan to do at a later time!) Tommy/OC.


A/N: James Cameron owns Titanic and its characters! I just own my OC Shannon O'Neal ;)

Anyways after I finish writing **Titanic 97 From DVD To FFN **I'm going to start another multi-chapter fic. It's going to be an AU version of the Titanic movie with Tommy and Shannon's love story being the main focus. They board the ship together after Shannon begs to go with him to America. But anyways, this little one-shot here is going to be like a prequel because I'm super obsessed with them right now. I keep looking at pics of younger-Jason Barry and Saoirse Ronan on the internet... XD

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><p><em>February 1912, County Donegal, Ireland<em>

18-year old Shannon O'Neal sat by the shore, looking out onto the Northern Atlantic ocean. She chucked pebbles into the water as she tried with all her might not to cry. She had just found out that her best friend planned to leave for America at the next chance he got. This had deeply upset her, because even though she was too afraid to admit it, she was falling in love with him.

She threw another pebble into the water and watched as it landed with a splash. She couldn't believe that he was okay with just up and leaving his entire life behind for the sake of finding a job. Sure, she knew why he felt like he had to leave, but she was angry at him for not even considering her feelings.

Suddenly, she could hear footsteps crunching along the path that lead to the rocky shore where she sat. "So this is where you've been hiding," a man's voice remarked. Shannon spun around to see the very source of her bitter feelings.

"Leave me alone, Tommy," she spat, chucking another pebble in the water.

"Surely you don't mean that," he tisked, walking closer to the rocks.

An average lad of twenty-one, Tommy Ryan was tall and strong with curly light brown hair and warm hazel eyes. He was admired by many of the girls in their village, but he held a special place in his heart for Shannon. He hated seeing her so upset, but he knew that staying in Ireland wasn't an option for him.

"I mean that, now go away," Shannon repeated.

"Please understand," Tommy pleaded.

"There is nothing to understand," Shannon insisted, taking off her left shoe and chucking it in the water. The pebbles weren't satisfying her anymore, she wanted to see a bigger splash.

"Can't you just look at me?" Tommy begged her. "Come on, don't be throwin' your things, just listen to me," he said, sitting down on the rock beside her.

"How can I look at you, knowing that you're just going to leave me here?" Shannon asked irritably as she tossed her right shoe into the water as well.

"Shan, we both know that I don't want to leave, but I have to. My family needs money, and bad. I know I can find a good job in America, that's why they call it the promise land... there's many more opportunities there, and then I can send the money to my family. Come on, you know it's true, three-quarters of our village lives in starvation," Tommy explained, reaching out and gently stroking her face.

"Tom, I know all of that. It's just... you didn't even consider my feelings," Shannon said, finally looking at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know how to tell you," Tommy sighed and looked down at his feet in shame. "Don't you want me to do the right thing, though?" he asked her, looking back up again.

"Yes, I do, it's just that..." Shannon paused as more tears brimmed in her eyes. She couldn't admit her feelings to him without choking up.

"It's just that what? Say it," Tommy prodded. He wore a mixed expression of curiosity and concern.

"I'm going to miss you so much because..." Shannon stopped to swallow and wipe her eyes. "Because I'm...I'm..." she sniffled as she tried not to start sobbing.

Tommy scooted closer and put a comforting arm around her. "What is it that's got you all worked up?" he asked her gently. "You can tell me anything, you know that," he pushed.

Shannon squeezed her eyes shut and wrung her hands together. "Because I'm in love with you," she admitted, immediately bursting into tears. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed.

"Shh, it's alright," Tommy whispered softly, as he rubbed her back. Admittedly, he was a bit shocked at her revelation, but he was also relieved, because he'd been feeling the same way for her for a while and hadn't felt comfortable telling her out of fear of screwing up their friendship.

"You can't leave me here," Shannon choked out with a shuddering sob.

"Hey now, look at me," Tommy said, gently tilting her chin upwards until her eyes were level with his own.

"I can't, it's destroying me," Shannon replied through clenched teeth. Her usually bright and cheery blue eyes were completely blood-shot, and her pale face was beet red and tear-stained.

"I love you too, and I wish I didn't have to leave you here but I do," Tommy told her. Noticing that a strand of her long strawberry blonde hair and come loose from her bun, he gently tucked it behind her ear, and softly kissed her forehead.

Shannon looked up at him. "Don't you understand?" she asked, exhasperated. She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her ragged tan colored dress.

Tommy shook his head. "Understand what?" he asked, confused.

"Good Lord you're an eejit!" Shannon exclaimed. "Take me with you," she said, as if it were the most obvious solution in the world.

"But Shan, you have a family and a life here. I can't just take you away from everything you know and love," Tommy told her, shaking his head with a sad expression across his face.

"Oh but Tom, what if I told you that you are my life? Living here in Donegal without you would still feel as if my entire world had been turned upside down," Shannon explained, reaching up and pulling his face into her chest. "I can't let go of you," she sniffled.

"Your father would never let me take you so far away," Tommy insisted.

"I'm eighteen years old, I can do as I please," Shannon reminded him.

"Damn it, you aren't gonna back down, are you?" Tommy couldn't help but laugh. He knew that when she had her heart set on something, she wouldn't stop until she got it. Her fiery personality was one of the many things that he so loved about her.

"Not a chance," Shannon replied with a mischevious smile.

Tommy grinned and picked her up in his arms. "Is that so, Miss O'Neal?" he asked her.

Shannon smiled and took off his bowler hat. "It is, Mr. Ryan," she replied. She proceeded to throw his hat in the water.

"Oh hey now, was that really necessary?" Tommy tisked at her.

"I think it was," Shannon giggled in his face.

"Well you know what I have to do now then, don't you?" Tommy asked with a sly grin.

"Buy a new hat?" Shannon laughed.

"Nope! This!" Tommy yelled, charging down the shore towards the ocean with her in his arms.

"Thomas Christopher Ryan you put me down RIGHT NOW!" Shannon squeaked, laughing hysterically as he jumped into the water with her. Together, they made the biggest splash of all.

Tommy grabbed his soaking wet hat and put it back on his head. "Look, found my hat," he chuckled.

Shannon hopped onto his back as he swam farther out. "Ah, and your left shoe," he added, picking up a sopping wet leather boot.

"What about the right one?" Shannon asked with an amused giggle.

"Can't find it, guess you'll have to hop," Tommy replied with a mischevious grin.

"You liar, I see it behind your back!" Shannon exclaimed, pointing.

"Guilty as charged," Tommy shrugged. They continued to splash around until the sky began to darken. Tommy carried her back to shore, where they laid down next to each other in the sand. "What is your dream?" he asked, looking into her mesmerizing blue eyes.

"To be eternally yours," she replied, looking back into his charming hazel eyes. Her expression was one of complete seriousness.

"Oh yeah?" Tommy asked, climbing on top of her and taking her soaking wet hair out of its bun.

"Like I said, I can't let go of you," Shannon repeated, stroking his face.

"And I can't get enough of you," Tommy said, leaning down and kissing her full on the mouth.

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><p>Love it? Hate it? Tell me what you think! :)<p> 


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